Augmented reality can now be a reality!

Concept image – note the darker the digital overlay image is, the more transparent it will be (hence black is totally transparent)

I am very excited to have seen the VR/AR HMD created by Tracey McSherry at Phasespace. In AR mode this allows very wide angle augmented reality with a high resolution / high contrast digital overlay. The display minimises distortion and eye strain allowing it to be used for real tasks. When we combine this with the cameras we are working with Intel on – who are making the amazing R200 and F200 cameras. This means we can finally create the experience Umajin was imagined to be able to deliver.

We can analyse the world at a distance with the R200 finding walls, doors, tables and objects. This camera is able to generate an incredible 640×480 buffer at 60 frames a second. With the F200 we can scan the users hands at a very wide angle of reach with extreme accuracy in 3D.

The combination is we can finally deliver the kinds of augmented reality experiences which will change the way we think about the world.

With this combination we can deliver over 100 degrees (top left to bottom right) of augmented vision overlaid on the real world. With the combination of high res RGB colour data and depth we can recognise images, objects and people in the real world – displaying heads up information or internal schematics or instructions. Your hands will be tracked in detail and individual fingertips can interact directly with the user interfaces.

This is a significant step up from the FOV restrictions of the HoloLens and the challenges of retinal projection hotspots.

I am very excited to be able to work on creating the software to power what will be the user interface of the future!